Dave Forrest will be trying to rekindle triumphant memories when he drives a Mk2 Escort into Dalby Forest for the opening stage of the Trackrod Rally Yorkshire tomorrow night.

Not from last year or 2021, but instead 2018, when the Wrose-based Bradfordian won the Motorscope Northern Historic Rally Championship.

Forrest has dominated the latter events of this season’s title race, taking maximum points in four of the last five rounds, and a good run over this weekend's six North York Moors stages will clinch the crown for a second time when he reaches the finish along Filey seafront on Saturday afternoon.

The Ilkley and District Motor Club member is now co-driven by cousin Jamie Forrest, who lives in Skipton, having taken the title with Charlie Carter navigating five years ago.

Twelve months back, the Forrests’ two-litre Ford nearly didn’t make it through the opening test, which will again be 12-miles on loose gravel in the dark, save for a bank of spotlights fixed to the front of the car.

Dave Forrest recalled: “That was the problem as I had them wired so as when you put the main beam on, everything came on.

“But you had to have the headlights on and, as we set off, I flicked the switch and knocked the headlight switch off at the same time.

“Jamie and I have been together for about two years and we had to do the entire stage with him holding it on while navigating at the same time.”

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Dave Forrest is trying to claim the crown for a second time, on this occasion with his cousin alongside him.Dave Forrest is trying to claim the crown for a second time, on this occasion with his cousin alongside him. (Image: UGC.)

Things were even worse the year before and when the pair did the Roger Albert Clark Rally - a five-day winter event based upon famous RAC Rallies of yesteryears.

“We are getting ready to do it again this year but that was the last of four times we have attempted it,” continued the gritty Yorkshireman.

“We rolled the car down a bank on the second stage in Kielder Forest, again in the dark.

“The car was in a bad way but was repaired and I broke my arm.”

The Trackrod rally forms the penultimate round of the British Rally Championship, where France’s Adrien Fourmaux is also looking to clinch the series in a state-of-the-art 200hp Fiesta R5, worth around £100,000.

As a Porsche dealer, whose business is in Leeds, Forrest is not unfamiliar with cars of that value but insists that Escorts from the sport’s ‘golden age’ are still the best experience.

He added: “You have to drive an Mk2 escort to understand the attraction - there’s nothing better than the sound of a Escort going through the forest at night and they are affordable to repair.

“If you have an R2, you have to go back to Malcolm Wilson (who runs the Ford World Championship team supporting Fourmaux) for repairs and all the parts.

With an Escort, you can repair them yourselves and the other Escort drivers - and there are many of them - share bits and spares with each other if you have a problem.”